Zaha is a 23-year-old winger who, last season, scored two goals and got one assist in 2,492 minutes.

Ronaldo achieved that in 90 minutes at the European Championship, when he scored twice and set up a third as Portugal drew 3-3 with Hungary. At 23, Ronaldo was leading Manchester United to another Premier League title and had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations too.

So those two aren't cut from the same cloth, but what about Zaha and Andros Townsend?

Tottenham Hotspur have targeted Wilfried Zaha and bid for the Crystal Palace winger

Parish confirmed that Tottenham had bid £12million for Zaha ‒ £1m less than what Townsend cost Palace ‒ but insisted that they will not sell him this summer.

Not for that price, anyway.

'There is no chance whatsoever of Wilfried Zaha leaving the club in this transfer window,' Parish said. 'We've told Spurs there is really no point bidding for him because he is going nowhere - 100 per cent guaranteed.'

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Yet every player has a price and Tottenham could try again, though the statistics say that Zaha is no better than Townsend.

Townsend played 1,339 minutes less than Zaha last season but got twice as many goals and assists. More chances created, more crosses, more passes that met their targets - all in the 25-year-old's favour.

It's true that Townsend's Tottenham exit was not down to a lack of ability but because of a falling out with Pochettino and his fitness coach, Nathan Gardiner.

Yet Zaha has had his share of controversy when it comes to this, too.

WILFRIED ZAHA VS ANDROS TOWNSEND IN 2015-16

PLAYER

GOALS

MINS

MINS PER GOAL

MINS PER ASSIST

CHANCES CREATED PER GAME

CROSSES PER GAME

DRIBBLES COMPLETED PER GAME

PASSING ACCURACY

Wilfried Zaha

2

2492

1246

2492

1.2

3.5

3.7

76.71%

Andros Townsend

4

1153

288.25

576.5

1.6

3.8

1.9

81.73%

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend left Tottenham after falling out with the management

Former Manchester United man Zaha is being chased by Tottenham in this summer's window

Sources at Manchester United told Sportsmail previously that Zaha had a bad attitude and that his time-keeping was poor. It was said that he once turned up 45 minutes late for a reserve game at Salford.

Yet that was not the only example. There was another time when Zaha was said to have been upset after a training ground telling off from David Moyes because his pass was held up by surface water at Carrington. The story goes that he was given a talking to, before Shinji Kagawa made the same mistake. The Japan international escaped without a lecture, though, and Zaha felt he was unfairly singled out.

A small incident, but enough for Zaha to kick up a fuss apparently. He has always insisted he was treated unfairly at Old Trafford and that his attitude was as professional as any of his peers, but Pochettino will have heard the rumours too.

Zaha was said to have had a bad attitude at United while David Moyes was manager

Zaha went largely unused by Moyes and his time at Old Trafford did not go to plan

Pochettino prides himself on helping young players develop and likes relentless running from his players, demanding it during games.

Look at the Tottenham midfielders who made at least 30 appearances last season and their average distances, and Zaha would have to up his work rate.

After 34 fixtures last season, he averaged 8.44km per game for Crystal Palace.